You demanded it, folks. Okay, maybe not you, since your net worth is almost definitely somewhere south of a billion dollars, but at least some of the fantastically heeled buyers of Aston Martin’s wicked, track-focused Vulcan hypercar have asked the company to look into making the thing street-legal.

-

The report comes to us from Dutch website Autovisievia the newspaper De Telegraaf, with Vulcan project manager Simon Croft stating that, while some people have already said they intend to stash their $2.3-million cars in climate-controlled purgatory, others want to drive it as much as possible, including on public roads.

-

However, they might not want to get their hopes up. Croft tells the Dutch outlet that it will be an “uphill struggle” to deliver a road-legal version of a car that has no street-legal counterpart—unlike the Ferrari FXX K and McLaren P1 GTR—and was designed exclusively to roam racetracks, incorporating a pile of FIA-certified componentry. Driving the point home, early next year Aston will begin a three-year series of track events at locations like Paul Ricard, Nardo, and Spa for the owners of the 24 examples it plans to build, in addition to providing training in the company’s racing simulators and seat time in its GT race cars. [Update: It seems Aston has ruled out a roadgoing Vulcan, as a spokesperson told our friends at Road & Track that "While there has been some understandable interest in a road-legal version of the Vulcan, we have no plans for one and all our efforts now are making it the ultimate Aston track supercar."]

The Vulcan is powered by Aston’s V-12 engine tuned to produce more than 800 horsepower, although the car will be limited to 500 and then 700 horsepower as owners get comfortable with the Vulcan’s capabilities. Once they’re ready, Aston Martin will allow owners access to the 12-cylinder’s full fury.

The Envision is a small crossover that’s roughly the same size as the Audi Q5; it will fit into Buick’s lineup between the teensy Encore and the large, three-row Enclave. It’s been on sale in China since the end of 2014, with power coming from a choice of 1.5-liter, 166-hp and 2.0-liter, 256-hp turbocharged four-cylinder engines. The former gets a dual-clutch automatic, while the bigger engine is paired with a conventional six-speed auto.

-

It’s unclear at this point which of the setups we’d get; even if both make it stateside, we’re guessing we’d see another engine offered in the 200-horsepower range to bridge the power gap. The Envision shares its D2XX bones with the recently introduced 2015 Chevrolet Cruze and Volt, and the next Chevy Equinox and GMC Terrain crossovers are expected to migrate to the architecture, as well, getting slightly smaller in the process.

Also of interest in the Automotive News story is word that executives are keen on bringing over the next-generation Opel Adam subcompact—it’s a kind of wheeled fashion-statement in the mold of the Fiat 500 or Mini Cooper—although that won’t happen until likely 2018 at the earliest.

-

-]]>http://blog.caranddriver.com/buick-envision-cuv-almost-definitely-coming-to-u-s-plus-a-subcompact-hatch-too/feed/06607742016 Mercedes-Benz GLC-class Driven: Luxury-Crossover Buyers Should Be Excitedhttp://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2016-mercedes-benz-glc-class-first-drive-review
http://blog.caranddriver.com/?p=228252http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2016-mercedes-benz-glc-class-first-drive-review#commentsTue, 21 Jul 2015 21:56:22 +0000Erik Johnson-A new crossover gets us nearly as excited as the prospect of binge-watching C-SPAN. Or maybe binge-watching people who are binge-watching C-SPAN. Yet such vehicles are wildly popular, and so every automaker offers at least as many variations on the theme as there are variations of, well, C-SPAN. (“C-SPAN 7: All Senate Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety, and Security, All the Time!”) This includes Mercedes-Benz, which is rebooting its compact-luxury entry with the new GLC-class. READ MORE ››-]]>http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2016-mercedes-benz-glc-class-first-drive-review/feed/06587542015 Nissan Armada Review: It Has Definitely Arrived Having Eatenhttp://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2015-nissan-armada-review
http://blog.caranddriver.com/?p=208674http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2015-nissan-armada-review#commentsWed, 15 Jul 2015 19:20:22 +0000Erik Johnson-Overview: The full-size Nissan Armada SUV is at this point so old, you’d be forgiven for thinking it earned its name for having been part of the Spanish Armada. Introduced for 2004, the big Nissan remains an iconoclastic choice in the face of the more-popular big haulers from GM and Ford and is based on the outgoing Nissan Titan truck chassis. (We expect a new Armada based on the redesigned 2016 Titan within the next year or two.) Power for this 2.5-plus-ton beast comes from a fuel-chugging 5.6-liter V-8 engine making 317 horsepower and 385 lb-ft of torque; it teams with a five-speed automatic and either rear- or four-wheel drive to deliver up to 9000 pounds of towing capacity. Once among the class leaders, the Armada long ago was passed—and then lapped—by other gargant-UVs in terms of refinement, technology, and general appeal. READ MORE ››-]]>http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2015-nissan-armada-review/feed/0GM Recalling 686,000 Crossovers from Four Brands for Faulty Liftgatehttp://blog.caranddriver.com/gm-recalling-686000-crossovers-from-four-brands-for-faulty-liftgate/
http://blog.caranddriver.com/?p=227235http://blog.caranddriver.com/gm-recalling-686000-crossovers-from-four-brands-for-faulty-liftgate/#commentsFri, 10 Jul 2015 15:04:27 +0000Erik Johnson-

The issue is faulty “Prop Recovery System” software that might not recognize when the gas support struts become worn and can no longer support the weight of the liftgate. The Prop Recovery System is “intended to accomplish a controlled, slow return of the liftgate to the closed position,” but the issue means the liftgate can then close too quickly and cause injury; CNBC reports that General Motors has indicated 56 injuries associated with the problem.

-

GM first investigated the problem in September 2010 but deemed the incident to be fairly isolated and closed its investigation while still monitoring reports. In November 2014, it received notification of further incidences and launched a formal investigation of the issue that took place between March 2015 and last month.

-

The affected vehicles are as follows:

-

-

2007–2012 GMC Acadias built between September 15, 2006 and February 29, 2012

-

2007–2010 Saturn Outlooks built between August 17, 2006 and March 18, 2010

-

2008–2012 Buick Enclaves built between January 3, 2007 and February 29, 2012

-

2009–2012 Chevrolet Traverses built between July 6, 2008 and February 29, 2012

The Outlook was discontinued along with the Saturn brand after the 2010 model year; the other three crossovers were refreshed for 2013 and the problem does not appear to affect the newer models. GM will notify owners and plans to have dealers reflash the Prop Recovery System software at no cost—a far cheaper solution than replacing the supports, it must be pointed out—to better detect worn struts.

A poster on the Ford Focus RS Club forum—and first reported by Jalopnik—has discovered something mighty interesting in the form of a patent application filed on June 25: Ford may be working on vehicle body panels and elements that light up.

-

The way it would appear to work is that panels would be stratified either as separate pieces or via injection molding, with inner and outers sandwiching a layer that, in the words of the application, would be “configured to luminesce in response to light excitation.” The excitement would come in the form of one or more lighting elements (likely LED) situated at or around the perimeter of the luminescent layer. This layer could incorporate individual excitable particles either alone or en masse, or consist of an entire substrate.

-

Ford explains in the patent that it envisions such tech could be used for “decorative and/or functional lighting,” which we take to mean it could conceivably be used for accent lamps in bumpers, the center high-mounted brake light, or decorative ambient lighting that, as shown in the figure above (no. 24), wraps around the cockpit of an open convertible. Or to light up full panels in different colors, VW Golf Harlequin–style. Or to spell out “CAMEROS ARE 4 CHUMPZ” across the rear bumper.

No matter what the technology is intended to do, there are no doubt several regulatory hurdles that would need to be cleared before such a thing reached production—U.S. vehicle regs are actually fairly hostile toward new lighting types, as shown by the fact that we can’t get the matrix LED and laser headlights now spreading across European carmakers’ lineups—but the branding and stylistic possibilities are tantalizing. For more, you can read the patent application for yourself right here.

-]]>http://blog.caranddriver.com/ford-applies-to-patent-luminescent-vehicle-molding-a-k-a-body-pieces-that-light-up/feed/06591592015 Mazda 5 Tested: 5’s Alive, But Not for Much Longerhttp://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2015-mazda-5-review
http://blog.caranddriver.com/?p=213071http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2015-mazda-5-review#commentsMon, 06 Jul 2015 21:07:04 +0000Erik Johnson-Overview: The Mazda 5 has its class—the mini-minivan with proper sliding doors—all to itself in the U.S. The model was first introduced to America roughly a decade ago as a roomier cousin to the contemporary Ford Focus and Mazda 3, and it was redesigned for 2012 with new sheetmetal, an updated interior, and mechanical tweaks that included adding one forward gear to the since-discontinued manual transmission. READ MORE ››-]]>http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2015-mazda-5-review/feed/06589012015 VW Golf SportWagen Automatic Tested: Practical Dominationhttp://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2015-vw-golf-sportwagen-18t-automatic-tested-review
http://blog.caranddriver.com/?p=210393http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2015-vw-golf-sportwagen-18t-automatic-tested-review#commentsFri, 03 Jul 2015 21:00:07 +0000Erik Johnson-

All we really want from any vehicle is for it to do its job well. It’s a deceptively simple criterion that guides our reviews of everything from burly off-roaders to thrifty subcompacts to ludicrously capable exotics. We’re hard-pressed to think of a vehicle that fulfills its mission better than VW’s Golf SportWagen—maybe the lunar rover. READ MORE ››

Say the words “diesel station wagon” around a group of European enthusiasts and they’ll yawn. Do the same thing in America, though, where such cars are exceedingly rare, and rivulets of sweat form on foreheads. Pulses quicken. Eyes widen. We should know—this happens to us. It’s because diesel wagons play into an automotive fantasy: the do-it-all vehicle that delivers great fuel economy, sedanlike dynamics, and enough utility to perhaps permanently stave off the purchase of a soul-crushing minivan or crossover. So it was pretty obvious which body style we’d spec when we were offered a chance to put 40,000 miles on a 3-series with BMW’s latest four-cylinder diesel engine. READ MORE ››

The Volkswagen Golf R? The Subaru WRX STI? Ford rooster-tails sand in their faces with the announcement that the awesome new Focus RS will make a staggering 345 horsepower from its 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder. The VW packs 292 horsepower, the STI 305.

-

Ford claimed “more than 315 horsepower” when it first detailed the car in February, and this announcement more than fulfills that promise. The word comes ahead of the 2015 Goodwood Festival of Speed, where Ford rally driver and RS development consultant Ken Block will run the all-wheel-drive superhatch up the hill.

-

Also confirmed: the RS’s torque figure, which comes in at 325 lb-ft between 2000 and 4500 rpm. An overboost function allows for a maximum of 347 lb-ft for up to 15 seconds when the driver’s right foot is buried against the firewall. (For further comparison, the Golf R peaks at 280 lb-ft and the STI at 290.) The EcoBoost’s rev limiter cuts in at 6800 rpm.

-

Every Focus RS will shunt its output through a six-speed manual transmission and onto a new all-wheel-drive system that features clutch packs on each rear half-shaft to deliver dynamic torque vectoring. Up to 70 percent of torque can be delivered to the rear axle, and up to 100 percent of that amount can be routed to the outside rear wheel. The car also will feature several chassis modes—including a “Drift Mode” that allows you to hang the tail out—and brake-based torque-vectoring on the front wheels similar to that in the Focus ST.

-

-

Besides besting its AWD hot-compact competition, the RS’s output figures also top those of the Mustang EcoBoost, which uses a longitudinal application of this same 2.3-liter to make 310 horsepower and 320 lb-ft. Versus that version of the engine, the RS’s features a larger turbo compressor, a larger intercooler, a freer-flowing intake, and a bigger-diameter performance exhaust system with an active valve in the tailpipe. (You can hear it in this hype video.) The head uses a different aluminum alloy capable of withstanding higher temperatures, and the cylinders have stronger cast-iron liners. There’s also a mega-size radiator.

Now we wait to see what Ford comes up with for the twin-turbo V-6 in the GT supercar—the company has said that monster will exceed 600 horsepower, and we now know that they’re kinda into blowing their own estimates to smithereens.

-

-

-]]>http://blog.caranddriver.com/ford-focus-rs-horsepower-and-torque-confirmed-you-will-not-be-disappointed/feed/0660304GMC Adds Apple CarPlay to Yukon, Sierra, and Canyon, Misses Opportunity to Call It TruckPlayhttp://blog.caranddriver.com/gmc-adds-apple-carplay-to-yukon-sierra-and-canyon-misses-opportunity-to-call-it-truckplay/
http://blog.caranddriver.com/?p=223850http://blog.caranddriver.com/gmc-adds-apple-carplay-to-yukon-sierra-and-canyon-misses-opportunity-to-call-it-truckplay/#commentsTue, 23 Jun 2015 21:05:13 +0000Erik Johnson-General Motors’ truck-slinging division, GMC, has announced that it is following its corporate brethren at Chevrolet, Buick, and Cadillac in offering Apple’s CarPlay connectivity.-

For 2016, Sierra and Canyon pickups and Yukon and Yukon XL SUVs equipped with the seven- or eight-inch IntelliLink infotainment touch screens will have CarPlay functionality, which allows occupants to mirror some smartphone apps directly on the display. Users can also access functions using their vehicle’s onboard voice-command system to control Apple’s Siri digital assistant. The supported apps include text messages, phone functions, Apple Maps, the iOS music and podcast apps, and a few other third-party music apps that include Spotify, iHeartRadio, and MLB At Bat.

GMC also announced Android Auto integration, but it will be limited to select Sierras which feature a seven-inch screen at the beginning of the model year before rolling out to all Canyons, Sierras, and Yukons—which is to say those with eight-inch screens—at a later date.

-

-]]>http://blog.caranddriver.com/gmc-adds-apple-carplay-to-yukon-sierra-and-canyon-misses-opportunity-to-call-it-truckplay/feed/0659387Ford Begins Testing Race Version of GT Supercar Ahead of Debut Next Monthhttp://blog.caranddriver.com/ford-begins-testing-race-version-of-gt-supercar-ahead-of-debut-next-month/
http://blog.caranddriver.com/?p=215507http://blog.caranddriver.com/ford-begins-testing-race-version-of-gt-supercar-ahead-of-debut-next-month/#commentsTue, 26 May 2015 17:17:01 +0000Erik Johnson-As we reported two weeks ago, Ford is planning a Le Mans debut next month for the racing version of its new Ford GT supercar—this year’s iteration of the 24-hour race will be held June 13 and 14—and we now know that the competition car has been out testing. The news comes from Motorsport.com.-

Whispered rumors of the Le Mans racing program for the GT trickled out prior to the reveal of the roadgoing version (as a thinly disguised concept) at this year’s Detroit auto show. While the racing car is expected to be unveiled at the 2015 24 Hours of Le Mans—at which point the racing program finally will be officially confirmed—the GT won’t compete at Circuit de la Sarthe until 2016.

-

Motorsport reports that the GT racer was piloted by Canadian driver Scott Maxwell at Calabogie Motorsports Park near Ottawa, Ontario; initial testing took place on May 16 with a second, longer excursion occurring in the middle of last week. The heavily Canadian flavor to the testing makes sense, of course, as Ontario-based Multimatic will handle the assembly of both the race and roadgoing versions of Ford’s supercar.

Power for both iterations will come from an ultrapowerful twin-turbo EcoBoost V-6 perhaps making 700 horsepower in street trim. The initial competition run for the race car was alleged, according to Motorsport, to have been scheduled for Petit Le Mans later this year, but the car ultimately may not hit the track in anger until next January’s 24 Hours of Daytona. Whenever it happens, we can’t wait to see the GT in full race livery—it’s perhaps the only way the thing could possibly look more bad-ass.

Now that the 2016 Chevrolet Camaro coupe has been unveiled, it’s time to assign at least a few brain cells to thinking about the first major spin-off, the convertible. Our artist has whipped up these renderings of what an RS-trimmed droptop would look like.

-

The convertible should be available with the same engine trio as is the coupe, which means a 275-hp 2.0-liter turbo four; a 335-hp 3.6-liter V-6; and the stonking 455-hp 6.2-liter LT1 V-8. In the coupe, any engine can be paired with a six-speed manual or an eight-speed automatic, and that should be the case here, too.

-

Also like the fixed-roof car, the convertible will feature GM’s excellent Alpha architecture, a chassis with adjustable drive modes, active magnetic shocks on SS models, an optional dual-mode exhaust, and significantly improved interior materials. The difference, of course, is the droppable top, the better to hear the various exhaust notes; we already know that even the V-6 car—we’ve already driven a prototype—sounds really, really good.

The softtop is likely to launch early next year in the basic LT (four- and six-cylinder) and SS (V-8) flavors, and we figure Chevy also will eventually spit out another ZL1 convertible. One big question that remains is whether the monstrous Z/28 track weapon will get an open-roof variant—a Z/28 based on the new sixth-gen coupe hasn’t been confirmed, although one is inevitable—but the Corvette lineup may provide a clue. The mega-performing Z06 is available as a convertible (for the first time in that nameplate’s history), proving that Chevy isn’t shy about scalping its burliest models. That Z06 proved in our testing to deliver all the hairy-chested awesomeness of the coupe version, and that bodes very, very well for a potential Z/28 convertible. Bring it on.

The Wörthersee festival is in full swing—perhaps you’ve read about some of the other hot-ass cars debuting there?—and here’s one more tuned VW for the attendees to gape at. The Golf Variant Biturbo is a one-off project that combines a couple of our favorite things: station wagons and sweet diesel power.

-

Yes, it’s a Golf SportWagen—the Golf Variant in Euro-speak—with a 2.0-liter twin-turbocharged TDI motor bolted between the front wheels. Output stands at 236 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque, which handily trumps the 184 horses and 280 lb-ft of the sporty VW GTD wagon we just drove. The Biturbo Edition also packs 4MOTION all-wheel drive.

As with the 396-hp VW Golf Dark Shine also appearing at the 2015 Wörthersee meeting, VW apprentices—fourteen of them, to be exact—are the alchemists behind this particular build. The exterior paint is called Alor Blue, and the hue also shows up on the engine cover, seats, door panels, dash trim, ambient lighting, and steering-wheel spokes. The headliner has been airbrushed with a night-sky motif that also includes a map of Saxony (the apprentices work at a VW facility in Zwickau), and there’s also an extendable cargo tray in the hatch area. We dig and we want—although we might go for a map of Ann Arbor on the headliner instead.

Volkswagen has released official images and info covering some of the vehicles it will display at RETTmobil, a European show for rescue and emergency vehicles, including one based on the new Golf Alltrack and a special Amarok pickup.

-

The all-wheel-drive Golf Alltrack rescue command car, which will be shown alongside a similar version of the Passat wagon, has the requisite lights and livery, and is fitted with fire extinguishers, a light-based signaling system, prep for digital radio communications, and a control panel with the additional buttons necessary to use the new gadgets. The liftgate is fitted with additional emergency lights on its underside, too, for more visibility when it’s open. Like so:

-

-

The Alltrack is fitted with an accident data recorder that logs not only longitudinal and lateral acceleration, vehicle speed, and brake use, but also if the vehicle’s lights and/or sirens were on, whether the vehicle was hit when it was parked, and if the turn signals and headlights were in operation. The car is fitted with standard all-wheel drive, but VW hasn’t detailed what’s under the hood.

-

Even fewer details were provided on the Amarok, but it’s been done up with the markings of the Deutsche Lebens-Rettungs-Gesellschaft, or DLRG, which is a Red Cross–style nonprofit organization in Germany focused on water-based rescue and safety education. This explains why it has been Photoshopped onto a beach.

The car was debuted last fall as a 2016, and it was quickly followed in January by the even more hard-core GT350R, also as a 2016. But the Blue Oval has learned much from Ol’ Shel, on whose name the beastliest Mustangs have traded for more than five decades and who knew a thing or two about stirring up demand, and so 100 GT350s will be produced for 2015 to honor the 50 years that have passed since the first GT350 debuted in January 1965.

-

Half of the 2015 GT350 models will be equipped with the Technology package, which adds navigation, leather-trimmed seats, power seat adjustments, the Sync 3 infotainment system, dual-zone auto climate control, and other niceties. The other 50 examples will come with the Track Pack and its heavy-duty front springs; engine, transmission, and diff coolers; adjustable drive modes; and strut-tower brace. All are sure to be future collectibles, but we know which version of the 2015 we already covet more.

Ford also will produce a limited run of GT350R track weapons with 2015 designations—exactly 37, which lines up with the number of FIA-homologated competition Mustangs Carroll Shelby says his firm produced in 1965. (Records show that perhaps 36 is the correct number—34 production and 2 prototypes—but Ford is sticking to the Shelby mythology for this release.) The company doesn’t say exactly how to get your hands on a 2015 GT350 or 350R, but we’d figure having Bill Ford, Jr., on speed dial might be required.

Excellent news, Mazdaspeed fans: The next-generation Speed 3 is on track and will appear at this fall’s Frankfurt auto show in concept form, if a report from Australia’s Motoring is accurate.

-

This timing jibes nicely with the most recent intel on the car, which suggested that the Mazdaspeed 3 (which once again will be marketed under the MPS banner in other markets) would arrive in mid-2016 as a 2017 model. Previewing the production version with a concept a few months before is standard practice, so we’d expect to see the real deal at the Detroit show in January, the Geneva show in March, or the New York show in April.

-

The car will have a fantastic foundation in the current 3, which is stylish, is great to drive, and sports a top-shelf interior—and is also one of our 10Best Cars. The Mazdaspeed version will be powered by a turbocharged version of the 2.5-liter four-cylinder already on offer, and we expect it will make something in the order of 300 horsepower. All-wheel drive is looking more and more likely, which would solve the last Speed 3’s hellacious torque-steer issues.

We don’t cover the VW Group’s Czech brand, Škoda, round these parts much, but a bitchin’ rally car seems as good a reason as any. (So was this innovative commercial.) Meet the Škoda Fabia R 5, which has been under development for the past 15 months but was just approved by the FIA for global competition. We’re seriously digging on the funky, teardrop wheel wells; the cantilevered wing out back; and the hyper-chiseled bodywork. Also: roof snorkel!

-

-

A 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder makes somewhere north of 265 horsepower; its predecessor, the Fabia Super 2000, made 275. Output is routed through a five-speed sequential transmission and on to all four wheels. Suspension is by struts all around. Minimum weight per FIA regulations is 2711 pounds, and the car is said to BWAAA! BWAAA! most righteously on asphalt, ice, gravel, snow, and dirt.

-]]>http://blog.caranddriver.com/czech-it-out-skodas-new-rally-car-looks-supremely-bad-ass/feed/06578952016 Mazda MX-5 Miata Club Photos and Info: You Definitely Want the Manual Versionhttp://www.caranddriver.com/news/2016-mazda-mx-5-miata-club-photos-and-info-news
http://blog.caranddriver.com/?p=201109http://www.caranddriver.com/news/2016-mazda-mx-5-miata-club-photos-and-info-news#commentsWed, 01 Apr 2015 04:05:08 +0000Erik Johnson-Mazda has taken the wraps off the Club edition of the all-new 2016 Miata, and, outside of an outfit for fans of Reginald VelJohnson—seriously, Al Powell tied Die Hard together—it’s the first club we’ve wanted to join in a long time. READ MORE ››-]]>http://www.caranddriver.com/news/2016-mazda-mx-5-miata-club-photos-and-info-news/feed/0CLICK NOW! Mazda Announces Launch Edition Miata, Preorder Websitehttp://blog.caranddriver.com/click-now-mazda-announces-launch-edition-miata-preorder-website/
http://blog.caranddriver.com/?p=200683http://blog.caranddriver.com/click-now-mazda-announces-launch-edition-miata-preorder-website/#commentsWed, 01 Apr 2015 04:01:32 +0000Erik Johnson-

Building on programs already running in Japan and the U.K., Mazda has announced a preorder website where you can get your mitts on one of the first 2016 MX-5 Miatas to land stateside.

-

Head now to www.longlivetheroadster.com to register interest in securing one of 1000 Launch Edition cars; on May 5, you can then confirm your intent to buy one with a $500 deposit.

-

-

2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata Launch Edition

-

The run of 2016 Launch Edition cars will be the first to arrive in the United States. Each one will be based on the top-spec Grand Touring trim and will come in Soul Red with a tan leather interior, 17-inch wheels, heated seats, automatic climate control, a nine-speaker Bose stereo, navigation, auto high beams, and electronic safety technologies like lane-departure warning, blind-spot monitoring (the Miata has blind spots?), and rear cross-traffic sensors.

-

Mazda says the Launch Edition color combo will be unique to these 1000 cars for 2016, which we take to indicate that you’ll be able to get one that looks like this sometime down the line. But then, you’d miss out on the Mazda-branded Bose Bluetooth speaker and Mazda apparel being handed out to Launch Edition buyers.

While 1000 cars sounds like a healthy amount, we’re thinking interested parties are going to want to raise a hand early to ensure they get one. After all, it took just 10 minutes for Mazda to sell out the 100 25th Anniversary NC cars it offered via a similar program last year, and there’s also the fact that the ND Miata is pretty great to drive. Get to clickin’, America.

-

-]]>http://blog.caranddriver.com/click-now-mazda-announces-launch-edition-miata-preorder-website/feed/06579532016 Porsche Boxster Spyder Photos and Info: 375 hp, 180 mph, All the Excellencehttp://www.caranddriver.com/news/2016-porsche-boxster-spyder-photos-and-info-news
http://blog.caranddriver.com/?p=201398http://www.caranddriver.com/news/2016-porsche-boxster-spyder-photos-and-info-news#commentsWed, 01 Apr 2015 02:15:43 +0000Erik Johnson-It’s back, you guys. IT’S BACK. One of the most gratifying spin-offs of one of the most gratifying cars extant is back: The wraps have been taken off of the second-generation Porsche Boxster Spyder. READ MORE ››-]]>http://www.caranddriver.com/news/2016-porsche-boxster-spyder-photos-and-info-news/feed/02016 Porsche Boxster Spyder: It’s Back and We’re Stoked – Official Photos and Infohttp://www.caranddriver.com/photo-gallery/2016-porsche-boxster-spyder-photos-and-info-news
http://blog.caranddriver.com/?post_type=gallery&p=201397http://www.caranddriver.com/photo-gallery/2016-porsche-boxster-spyder-photos-and-info-news#commentsWed, 01 Apr 2015 02:11:01 +0000Erik Johnson--------------------------------------------------]]>http://www.caranddriver.com/photo-gallery/2016-porsche-boxster-spyder-photos-and-info-news/feed/0657890AWD Golf SportWagen? VW Says Yes, Have Some, Confirms Alltrack for U.S.http://www.caranddriver.com/news/2017-vw-golf-sportwagen-alltrack-photos-and-info-news
http://blog.caranddriver.com/?p=201086http://www.caranddriver.com/news/2017-vw-golf-sportwagen-alltrack-photos-and-info-news#commentsTue, 31 Mar 2015 22:02:22 +0000Erik Johnson-Hallelujah, and praise be to Piëch—we’re getting some all-wheel-drive Golf SportWagen action on our side of the pond.READ MORE ››-]]>http://www.caranddriver.com/news/2017-vw-golf-sportwagen-alltrack-photos-and-info-news/feed/0VW’s New Wave: Beetle Wave Concept Is Orange and Houndstoothyhttp://blog.caranddriver.com/vws-new-wave-beetle-wave-concept-is-orange-and-houndstoothy/
http://blog.caranddriver.com/?p=201203http://blog.caranddriver.com/vws-new-wave-beetle-wave-concept-is-orange-and-houndstoothy/#commentsTue, 31 Mar 2015 22:00:08 +0000Erik Johnson-

Of the Beetle concepts VW is bringing to the New York show, this Wave convertible is probably the tamest, and it’s the one with orange paint and a houndstooth-trimmed interior.

-

The color is called Habanero Orange, which makes us want to go get Buffalo wings, while the upholstery is intended to evoke the 1950s and ’60s. There’s also a real wood garnish for the dashboard, chrome mirror caps, 19-inch “Tornado”-design wheels, and Michigan license plates Photoshopped to say “New York City” and “BTL SRF.” Okay, so they’re only on the renderings provided by VW, but shouldn’t the plates at least say “BTL WAV”?

-

-

As far as concepts go, this one could be very easy to put into limited production, and VW seems to be tipping its hand in the release for the Wave, as it says that Beetle-based concepts like the sweet Dune—which will hit dealers in early 2016—show how quickly VW can turn these minor flights of fantasy into reality. (Volkswagen also produced the Beetle Fender concept, for what it’s worth.) That’s a strategy that actually makes sense to us; as Beetle buzz has slowed, turning it into a variant and spin-off machine like the Mini Cooper or Fiat 500 could incrementally increase sales and ensure the car appeals to as many different tastes as possible. And that it survives.

It’s probably fair to say that BMW sees the current F80 M3 as the fully weaponized version the company was destined to build, a car which, having evolved through its E30, E36, E46, and E90 generations, is now the ultimate synthesis of the brand’s engineering might and dynamic credentials. And if the criteria are that the car be capable of captivating through not only its handling and racy visuals, but also brain-liquefying performance, then there’s no doubt that this DCT-equipped M3 is the pinnacle of the breed. READ MORE ››

Hark! On yon horizon breaks the new 2015 VW Passat Limited Edition, which certainly is an edition but isn’t particularly limited. As a replacement for the brand’s Wolfsburg and basic SE trims (the SE with Sunroof and Nav model will continue), it will occupy the second rung on the Passat ladder and aims to become the nameplate’s volume model.

-

The LE starts at $24,815, which is cheaper than the 2015 editions of both the SE ($27,100) and the Wolfsburg ($25,195). VW points out that the new car offers $2755 worth of equipment at a $1555 premium over the base Passat S, and that it also adds some things over the Wolfsburg. The rundown: 17-inch wheels, proximity keyless entry and ignition, a backup camera, a touch-screen setup in the center stack, satellite radio, faux leather upholstery, heated front seats, an eight-way power driver’s seat, a full eight speakers for the audio system, fog lamps, chrome window trim, and leather wrapping for the steering wheel, shifter, and parking-brake handle. If this news seems less than exciting, consider that VW chose to show off the car in white.